Stalker who left actor Claire Foy fearing for her and daughter’s life spared jail

A stalker who left actor Claire Foy fearing for her and her daughter’s lives has been spared a prison sentence.

US citizen Jason Penrose, 49, was sentenced to 22 months in jail, suspended for two years, for one count of stalking and two counts of breaching an interim stalking order.

He has also agreed to be repatriated to the US after he admitted to stalking The Crown star.

Penrose was given a stalking protection order in July after sending Ms Foy, 38, thousands of emails and turning up at her door.

She was horrified when Penrose turned up at her home on 17 December last year and repeatedly rang her doorbell, Thames Magistrates court heard.

Last month, Penrose pleaded guilty to stalking Ms Foy between August 2021 and February 2022.

Penrose also admitted two charges of breaching an interim stalking ban order by sending a letter and a parcel to Ms Foy.

His sentencing trial was adjourned in December after the court was sent a letter warning he would continue to write to the star.

He was sentenced at the Old Bailey in central London on Friday.

The court previously heard that Penrose sent Ms Foy’s publicist Emma Jackson more than 1,000 explicit emails, including one referring to rape.

Penrose initially contacted Ms Foy via her agent and publicist, claiming to be a scriptwriter. He said he had a multimillion-pound deal with Warner Brothers Studio and wanted the actor to star in his sci-fi film.

He also tried to contact Ms Foy on LinkedIn and Instagram.

The actor was left suffering sleepless nights and even begged her film industry colleagues not to tag her in pictures, fearing Penrose might use them to track her movements.

Writing to the court, Ms Foy shared her feelings of being “terrified and helpless” in her own home.

“I have had to have numerous meetings with my daughters’ school, neighbours, family members and work colleagues who had all been affected by Mr Penrose’s stalking and harassment and all have legitimate fears and concerns regarding his behaviours,” she wrote.

“I will again be scared to leave my front door, pick my daughter up from school and return home at night. I will have to follow police guidelines of having my phone on at all times, remaining alert and fearful.

“I feel like the freedoms I enjoyed before Mr Penrose contacted me have now gone and I view the world in a much more fearful way as a direct result of his actions.”

If he returns to the UK, Penrose must notify the police and provide his address in the UK, contact details and the duration of his stay. An indefinite restraining order preventing him from contacting Ms Foy was also granted.

Sentencing Penrose on Friday, Judge David Aaronberg told him: “You are an American citizen with a history of mental health issues going back at least until 2015 and it appears you were not taking any medication to assist with these issues since 2017 or 2018.

“In 2018 or 2019, you indicated to those treating you that you went to live in the Republic of Ireland.

“You have explained to those who have been treating you that you were writing screenplays and it was during that time that you first became aware of the actor, Claire Foy.

“You became infatuated with her, deluding yourself that she would be willing to act in a film and that you had some sort of romantic attachment to her. You began sending emails to her agents, both in the UK and the USA.

The judge continued: “I have seen the content of much of this material and it would have been apparent to anyone reading them that you were a man who had some sort of mental health problem.

“In particular you had, and to some extent still have, a persistent delusional disorder, leading you to believe that Ms Foy wished to communicate with you and engage in some sort of relationship with you, on both a professional and personal basis.

“The reality is that Ms Foy has never met you, never responded to the hundreds of requests which you have made to see her and wants nothing whatsoever to do with you.”